51勛圖厙

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July 24, 2026
 

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KABUKI

The ※Princess Mononoke§ adaptation was created under Shochiku＊s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
CULTURE / Stage
Jul 9, 2026
＆Princess Mononoke＊ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
Kabuki, one of Japan＊s oldest performing art forms, and Studio Ghibli seek modern resonance in an everchanging landscape for arts.
In 2019, Saitama Arts Theater started permitting children under 3 to some of its shows. Previously, children under 4 were not permitted.
CULTURE / Stage
May 3, 2026
No longer shushed: Japan＊s cultural venues make room for children
From ballet to museums, cultural institutions are adapting to the needs of families with young children.
Nakamura Tanenosuke adjusts himself before hitting the stage. Every actor in kabuki relies on one final, essential element to fully inhabit their role: the wig.
CULTURE / Stage
May 1, 2026
Japan＊s wig masters bring the kabuki stage to life
In kabuki, transformation begins with the wig, as master artisans shape identity, status and emotion strand by strand.
Nakamura Takanosuke performs as an "onnagata," the term for male kabuki actors who portray women, in "The Wisteria Maiden."
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 24, 2026
After ＆Kokuho＊: Nakamura Takanosuke to take kabuki＊s ＆onnagata＊ tradition to Europe
Following renewed interest, a young actor offers overseas audiences a rare look behind the scenes.
Released in June last year, "Kokuho," directed by Lee Sang-il, has continued to extend the all-time record for Japanese live-action movies that it set last November.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Feb 17, 2026
＆Kokuho＊ earns ?20 billion at Japan box office
The film now ranks 10th among all-time box office hits in Japan, including Western films and anime.
Actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman announce the nominees for the 98th Academy Awards on Thursday. Kabuki drama "Kokuho" scored a nod for best makeup and hairstyling.
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Jan 23, 2026
＆Kokuho＊ leads Japan Academy Film Prize nominations but falls short at the Oscars
The hit kabuki drama had been on the shortlist for best international feature, but still received recognition for hair and makeup.
Kabuki actor Nakamura Tsurumatsu, whose real name is Daiki Shimizu, has been arrested on suspicion of breaking a Tokyo restaurant's door by kicking it on Sunday, sources said.
51勛圖厙 / Crime & Legal
Jan 20, 2026
Kabuki actor Nakamura Tsurumatsu arrested for alleged damage at Tokyo restaurant
The 30-year-old actor has denied the allegations, saying that he does not remember what he did, according to people familiar with the probe by the Metropolitan Police Department.
Across genres, performing arts this year were collaborating, experimenting and touring the world.
CULTURE / Stage / 2025 IN REVIEW
Dec 19, 2025
Tradition, remixed: A year on Japan＊s stages
From kabuki＊s newfound fans to experimental theater＊s widening scope, Japan＊s performing arts scene spent 2025 reaching outward.
In a rare meeting of ballet and butoh dance 〞 a first for K-Ballet Opto 〞 butoh company Dairakudakan and its founder, Akaji Maro, will dance alongside ballet dancers.
CULTURE / Stage
Nov 29, 2025
A rare dance trinity: Ballet, butoh and kabuki share the stage
In the uncertain realm between life and death dwell mystical creatures 〞 tengu demons, y身kai folklore monsters and spirits of the dead. It＊s these shadows that choreographer and director Kaiji Moriyama explores in K-Ballet Opto＊s ※A Dance Remembered in Tohno,§ premiering Dec. 26 at Tatemono...
A scene photo from the film ※Kokuho§
CULTURE / Film
Nov 25, 2025
Oscar entry ＆Kokuho＊ breaks 22-year-old Japan box-office record
※Kokuho§ has won over critics with its lush cinematography and portrayal of the little-known world of kabuki.
Japan＊s treasured traditional arts, such as lacquerware, the tea ceremony and noh theater, face a widening gap between veteran masters and too few successors.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Nov 19, 2025
Japan＊s cultural heritage and its aging guardians
Living national treasures are revered. But without reform, the risk of cultural attrition grows.
Kabuki has been trying for years to attract a new generation of fans. One way to do this has been to adapt manga and anime franchises, such as ※Naruto,§ for the stage.?
CULTURE / Stage
Oct 3, 2025
The summer kabuki came roaring back
A hit film and shifting demographics are drawing new audiences to kabuki, sparking hopes for a revitalized future.
A woman walks past the poster of Lee Sang-il＊s kabuki drama "Kokuho" outside a cinema in Tokyo's Roppongi district.
CULTURE / Film / Wide Angle
Sep 18, 2025
From high risk to record-breaker, ＆Kokuho＊ defied expectations to become a megahit
Lee Sang-il＊s three-hour kabuki drama overcame doubts over subject matter to find its audience.
A scene from "Kokuho"
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Aug 19, 2025
＆Kokuho＊ rakes in over ?10 billion at the box office
※Kokuho§ is now the third-highest-grossing Japanese live-action movie ever after the 2003 film ※Bayside Shakedown 2§ and the 1983 movie ※Antarctica.§
An illustration of a scene from the fourth act of "Aoto Z身shi Hana no Nishiki-e" by Toyokuni Utagawa III (1862).
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 26, 2025
Take your first steps into the world of kabuki with these basic terms
The language of Japanese theater is full of double 〞 even triple 〞 meanings. Knowing the terminology is the first step in understanding it.
Lee Sang-il＊s "Kokuho" stars Ryo Yoshizawa as an orphan from a yakuza clan who rises through the world of kabuki to become a star performer.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 8, 2025
＆Kokuho＊ finds riveting drama on and off the kabuki stage
Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama deliver stage performances that are both convincing as kabuki and arresting as drama in Lee Sang-il＊s ambitious film.
Lee Sang-il＊s ※Kokuho,§ which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year, follows the life of an "onnagata," a male kabuki actor who plays female roles, from his childhood as the son of a yakuza boss in 1960s Nagasaki to his official designation as a living national treasure.
CULTURE / Film
Jun 6, 2025
＆Kokuho＊ illuminates the high price of becoming a national treasure
Director Lee Sang-il turns a long-held vision into reality with his sumptuously shot film that reveals the dedication, sacrifice 〞 and loneliness 〞 behind kabuki greatness.
Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku and kabuki actor Nakamura Shido II first performed together in 2016. This month, they＊re reviving the show for the Osaka World Expo.
CULTURE / Stage
May 17, 2025
Traditional performing arts are plugging into modern audiences
Noh and kabuki are getting an image update by teaming up with pop culture figures such as Vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku and DJ Ken Ishii.
Kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke V, now Onoe Kikugoro VIII (front center), gives a greeting during the classical hand-clapping ceremony called "koshiki kaoyose teuchishiki" in Tokyo's Chuo Ward on Tuesday.
51勛圖厙
Apr 30, 2025
Kabuki actor Kikunosuke assumes the name Onoe Kikugoro VIII
Onoe Kikugoro is a prestigious stage name in the world of the traditional Japanese performing art.
(From left) JR East President Yoichi Kise, Kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke, and Shochiku President Toshihiro Takahashi at a joint news conference at the Kabukiza theater in Tokyo on Monday
51勛圖厙
Nov 19, 2024
JR East and Shochiku to collaborate on regional revitalization
Under the 10-year agreement, the two companies will bring to life programs rooted in regional traditional culture
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer＊s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ※seed§ that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ※Peak 1 amyloid beta,§ as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" 〞 an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
Intervention is the word after yen moves beyond ?163 and sits there
The government could prop up the yen at any moment, though its signaling is hard to read.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan＊s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.
Summer has arrived in Japan and so have hot sleepless nights
Amid the heat and humidity in Japan, a good night＊s sleep is growing increasingly elusive without the heavy use of air conditioning.
Maya Ongaku＊s DIY dream is getting bigger
The members of Maya Ongaku 〞 (from left) Tsutomu Sonoda, Shoei Ikeda and Ryota Takano 〞 grew up on the Shonan Coast south of Tokyo and have been friends since their school days.

Podcast

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Kabukicho: Tokyo＊s ＆stadium of desire＊

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan＊s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan＊s utility poles won＊t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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